Winter wardrobe update #1

image source: ordinary people / pinterest

There’s nothing quite like a change in season to make us enormously aware of how quickly the last three, six, nine or even twelve months have flown by. I don’t deal with Winter well – it’s a season that the chilblains I get on my fingers would happily do without – so the first signs of Spring are always a welcome arrival (as is any excuse to banish all my opaque tights to the back of the drawer).

I’ve spent the better part of the last three months shopping sensibly – which probably comes as a surprise to most who know me well! – so instead of finding joy in a shiny new purchase, I’ve found solace in old and forgotten favourites.

New wardrobe staples: I treated myself a couple of months back with a new leather card case from Charlotte Olympia, and while on the expensive side, it’s become an everyday staple. I love the fact that it’s forced me to reduce the number of cards I tote around with me on a daily basis to the bare necessities, and it gives me a little smile every time I pull it out of my handbag.

New favourites: My latest favourites are a couple of *cheap and cheerful* purchases; a camel silk tank from Everlane, which added some much needed colour to my winter wardrobe, and a pair of pointed toe black flats from ASOS, which have been wonderful for the daily commute to work.

A special addition: Of the few things that I did end up picking up, one has really stood out to me and is something I really am looking forward to wearing. It’s a white pleated strapless dress from Dion Lee, which I managed to nab during the sale from David Jones. I’ve had a real thing for pleating lately, and this really stood out to me as being unlike anything I already own. I don’t like to reserve dresses like this for special occasions only so after our engagement party next month, I’ll be layering this up with loose knit jerseys and cropped tanks.

What I’ve worn the most: Naturally, I found myself reaching for a merino knit sweaters most days during the winter. I have a few in heavy rotation, a black and a dark grey crew neck from the men’s section in Country Road, and a black fitted lightweight skivvy from Kate Sylvester. When it’s cold it’s always easiest to reach for the familiar, and given how easily these sweaters meshed with the rest of my wardrobe, it felt like a no-brainer.

What I’ve worn the least: Oddly, I found that I stopped gravitating towards my Nobody Denim skinny jeans, which I think in part is due to the fact that these are slightly too long for me, and not as narrow in the ankle as I’d like. Instead, I opted to wear my J Brand skinny jeans (which double as trousers) as these cut off just at the ankle and the fabric is so soft and stretchy. I’ve been KonMari-ing my wardrobe just to try and pare it back a little more and I get the feeling that these are one of the things that might be in the ‘discard’ pile…

Most disappointing purchase: I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for wedding bits and pieces as I’m definitely not one to leave things until the last minute, and I found a pair of studded flats which I thought would be perfect for dancing the night away in. Only issue? The sizing guide was completely off. I’ve since sent them back to Nordstrom and have been putting off ordering a new size in case they end up being too large or too small – not exactly a conundrum I want to find myself in for a second time. For reference, I’m an EU40 and got these in a US 10 (at least a full size too big), and am currently toying between the US 8.5 or US 9. If you’ve picked these up, let me know how you got on as I never seem to have much luck with US sizing!